OMAHA, NE — Around 6 p.m. Tuesday evening a cold weather funnel cloud formed over Omaha just west of 180th and Cornhusker. Video of the funnel cloud was captured by KMTV Creative Services producer Justin Enos.
According to 3 News Now Meteorologist Chris Swaim, cold weather funnel clouds form during strong rainstorms when the air aloft is unusually cold. These funnels are usually harmless, only last a few minutes and rarely touch down on the ground. But such funnels can rarely come down to the ground and cause some damage. The National Weather Service in Omaha issued an advisory at 5:42 p.m. that such funnels could form Tuesday evening. It urged anyone who sees one to report it to the National Weather Service by calling 800-759-9276 or emailing dmx.spotterreport@noaa.gov.
These funnels usually don't trigger a tornado warning from the NWS, but the weather service says by reporting what you see, it can better determine if a tornado warning needs to be issued.
